Chapter 56 - going back to the hood (Part 18) - Taking back our town street style

As we faced off against the armed men, a mix of De Santo gang members and unknown assailants, we knew we had to work together with the LAPD's SWAT team and riot squad to restore order. It was chaos, with people scattering everywhere, and our priority was to get them safely back to their homes.

I instructed the boys to wear face masks to avoid being recognized, and we moved in tandem with the police to contain the situation. But what happened next was incredible - the people of LA began to rally behind us, supporting the police and our efforts to take down the armed men and the De Santo gang.

It was a united front, with locals and law enforcement working together to reclaim our city. The streets were still chaotic, but there was a sense of determination and purpose in the air. We were taking back our town!

We utilized our cellphones to coordinate with other communities, sharing intel on the armed men's locations and synchronizing our efforts to take them down. There was a clear understanding that we couldn't rely on the Mayor or some senators, who had abandoned LA in its time of need. In fact, their lack of support would likely haunt them in the next election.

I couldn't help but think that Hardware, with his leadership and community spirit, might just have a future in politics. The thought brought a wry smile to my face, but for now, we had a city to save. Our makeshift coalition of locals, police, and community leaders was determined to reclaim LA, and we wouldn't let anyone stand in our way.

One of the boys alerted us to a house under attack by the De Santo gang, who were retaliating against a family that had tried to break free from their grip. We rushed to the scene, and I sprang into action, taking down the gang members and freeing the terrified girl and boy they were dragging away.

The De Santo gang members cowered, begging for mercy. "Please, we surrender! We're tired of this, it's not what we wanted!" I was unmoved by their pleas, knowing the years of terror they had inflicted on LA. I instructed the boys to bind them, and soon the police arrived to take them into custody.

As it turned out, the gang members had all entered the country illegally, their suspicious visas now part of the investigation.

I was stunned to realize that Darrel's case was still connected to all this chaos. I had hoped for closure, but it seemed that this web of deceit and violence was far more intricate than I had imagined. And now, I couldn't help but wonder if I was also entangled in this mess.

As the city struggled to contain the violence, some areas like Santa Monica and Oceanside remained hotspots, with "soldiers" bought off by unknown forces continuing to wreak havoc. Soro and Maya were doing their best to keep up, but it was an uphill battle.

In Hollywood, the chaos was palpable, with buildings shot to pieces and the De Santo gang turning on each other. It was surreal.

Leonardo approached me, a look of surprise on his face. "Signore, it seems some of them are switching sides, wanting to leave their old lives behind.”

I was in disbelief. From what Darrel had told me, the De Santo gang was loyal to a fault. But then, one of them approached us, a look of desperation in his eyes.

"This is what I feared the most, amigo," he said, his voice trembling. "We're tired, and many of us want to surrender, to go back home..." I sensed there was more to this than met the eye, some hidden instruction from above. I pressed him for answers.

"What's the deal with Don Jurado?" I asked, eyeing him skeptically.

He hesitated, then gestured to a van nearby. "The Don...I know his location.”

I was stunned. The guy who'd tried to capture me was now hiding behind a van?

"Are you kidding me? How could you turn on me like that?" I demanded, trying to keep my temper from flaring.

The Don avoided eye contact. "Call off your guys," I ordered, trying to stay calm despite my frustration with the nonstop chaos.

"The hell you mean they can't be stopped?" I asked, my confusion turning to anger.

"Look me dead in the eye and tell me again. Call off your goons," I demanded, our gazes locking in a tense stare-down.

The Don's eyes widened in fear, and he stuttered in Spanish, "First a monster, now the devil himself…"

He'd pissed his pants, and I could see my own reflection in the side mirror. My eyes had turned yellow, a sign of the rage building inside me. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath to keep my cool.

But the Don kept talking, his words spilling out in a desperate bid for mercy. "They're not under my control no more...the Don from Argentina's calling the shots now.”

I opened my eyes, my gaze piercing. "Who is it?”

The Don's reply was laced with venom. "Eclipse...that son of a bitch never honored our deal. He used me to get his men here. I tried contacting my boss in Argentina, but they're ghosting me.”

I searched the Don's eyes, and for the first time, I saw a glimmer of truth. He was telling the truth, and I knew I had to keep him talking if I wanted to get to the bottom of this mess.

"Tell me again, what happened to Darrel? Who called the shots?" I pressed, my patience wearing thin.

The Don hesitated, fear in his eyes. "He'll kill me if I say his name.”

I scoffed. "You already said Eclipse, now you're playing dumb? I don't have time for this."

The Don caved, offering a desperate deal. "If I tell you everything, will you spare my life?"

I considered it. "I'll think about it, but you need to confess to the LAPD.”

The Don's eyes widened in terror. "It has to be you! If I go to the cops, I'll be dead before they even find me!”

I relented, curious about what he had to say. "Fine, tell me now. Anyone got a recorder?"

One of the boys surprisingly pulled out a voice recorder. "This is for my school project…"

I raised an eyebrow. "Luxury problems, homie…"

The Don began to speak, his voice shaking. "In 1995, I was in Argentina. Our boss got an offer from someone in the government, a deal to sell drugs and create a trafficking route in LA…"

I listened intently, wondering who this mysterious figure was. The Don continued, "He claimed to have connections to the top brass...and the deal started with a $1 million payment upfront, just one box of money…"

I leaned in, my mind racing with the implications. Who was this corrupt government official, and how far did their reach extend?

The Don continued, his voice laced with unease. "He said his agent would contact him once we arrived in LA…"

Something about that sounded off, yet familiar. My mind raced to connect the dots.

Don Jurado went on, "When we got to LA, he claimed to be his agent and said there was another upfront payment for us. But then, another delivery was made - a transfer of something I didn't expect…"

He paused, his eyes darting around nervously. "It was weapons...including a box of vials that looked like blood." My ears perked up at that. What was he getting at?

I leaned in, my gaze fixed on him. "What do you mean, 'looked like blood'?" I pressed, my voice firm but controlled.

The Don's eyes locked onto mine, his voice barely above a whisper. "I mean, it was red, like blood. But it didn't seem right. It was too...thick." He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. "And there was something else. A symbol on the box. A cross, a hammer and chisel, and a triangle with a dot inside..." My mind raced with the implications. Could it be the Brotherhood of the Mason?

I pushed for more information. "When did you meet him?”

The Don's response sent a chill down my spine. "Summer of 1995. He was a tall, black American guy with a military symbol tattoo...the number 109, and an American army insignia. He wore a dog tag too." My heart raced as I pieced together the clues. Could it be Boulder?

The Don continued, his words painting a sinister picture. "After the deal, we went silent, using the 102 as the central hub for the transfer. We used you and Damien as the front enforcers, but Darrel was getting suspicious. He was onto us, and we knew it."

My mind reeled with the revelations. The web of deceit and corruption went far beyond what I had imagined. I had to keep pushing for the truth.

"What did Darrel discover?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.

The Don's response sent a chill down my spine. "Boulder told me that Darrel, the top dog of the 102, was just a cover. He was actually a special agent for Homeland Security.”

My mind raced with the implications. "So, Darrel was working with the agency all along?"

The Don nodded. "He had been communicating with them since day one, gathering evidence to take us down. He even sent them our transaction records. The agent told me we had to eliminate him and the enforcer to cover our tracks.”

I remembered the gruesome scene where Darrel's body was riddled with bullet holes. "Darrel was tough to kill, but the agent called in...something. It was inhuman, even to me. It took him down with such ferocity that Darrel didn't stand a chance.”

The Don's eyes locked onto mine. "They planned to kill you and Damien too, but you managed to escape and take down one of their men. Our gang was shocked, and the agent told me you had the criteria to be one of...them. Monsters, like the one that took down Darrel.”

My mind reeled with the revelation. Clones? Was that what he was talking about?

The Don continued, "After that, I tried to contact our boss in Argentina, but he was concerned about the risk we'd taken. We were afraid of them, and some of our men started to have second thoughts. They used the media to cover their tracks, making it seem like the 102 was killing each other. You remember the news stories about Darrel?"

I nodded, my thoughts racing with the implications.

The Don's voice dropped to a whisper. "And then, four years later, Darrel's little brother started digging again. But that bastard told me not to worry, that he'd take care of it." My eyes widened as I realized the truth. Then it means that after I met Damien in his crib that was definitely but when we fought at the Italian restaurant with the Leonardo that was an imposter?

"All this time, I thought Damien was involved in the incident, but it was just an imposter," I said, feeling a mix of relief and concern. "He didn't kill all our men, just some of them, while searching for the truth.”

I turned to Don Jurado, eager for answers. "So, what about Damien? Is he…?"

Don Jurado's eyes dropped, his voice laced with guilt. "I contacted him, explained everything, but he had proof of my involvement and wanted me to confess. I was scared, started shooting, but he escaped. What terrifies me most is that there's a monster in our midst, a 15-year-old girl who chased Damien down. We saw him fall into the sea...I feel terrible about it, and I've been having second thoughts.”

My eyes welled up with tears. "So, Damien is missing?" I felt a surge of emotions, longing to hug my friend if he were there.

Don Jurado continued, his voice cracking. "When I tried contacting my boss in Argentina, it wasn't him on the line. It was the agent, now the mayor, telling me not to worry, that everything was taken care of. But then our boss's home was destroyed, burned to the ground. I lost my composure, my sanity...one by one, my men disappeared, and we couldn't take it anymore. They had families, and they were all scared.”

I felt a lump in my throat, my mind racing with the implications.

"What else?" I asked, my mind racing with the implications.

Don Jurado's eyes locked onto mine. "All of this is because you arrived on the scene. They wanted to take you and Damien down, clean their tracks, and make it look like a gang war.”

My heart sank. "Fuck, it's a trap! I'm putting Mariam and Amin in danger!”

I borrowed a phone and called Mariam, relief washing over me when she answered.

"Bro, are you okay? Nat and Mika told me everything! LA is a war zone!”

"Where are you?" I asked, my heart racing.

"At your crib, with the boys. They're guarding us. Don't go cowboy on us!”

"Wait, where's Mr. Hawk?" I asked, and he replied,

"Son, we're all here, including Detective Tracy. This neighbourhood is the new safe zone. Where are you?”

I felt a surge of relief. "Mr. Hawk, everything's in place. Just stay there and wait for my instructions. I have the De Santo gang boss with me.”

I heard a commotion on the other end, and Nat's voice came through. "Hey, what about Damien?”

"He's fine, Nat. Just keep everyone safe. I need your help.”

I asked to speak to Mr. Hawk again. "Son, what is it?”

"I'm bringing the Don to Compton. He's not safe with anyone else.”

The Don looked relieved, and the other men nodded in agreement.

"Tell your family to gather at Compton. It's the only safe place for now.”

Just then, armed men appeared at the front, shooting at us. "Looks like we're busy," I said, taking point and telling the boys to start the van.

As we prepared to defend ourselves, Damien appeared out of nowhere and said, "Looks like you've got proof!”

I hugged him, and the boys misunderstood, thinking we were gay. "Fuck you, asshole, I'm straight!" Damien looked pissed, but I just grinned.

"I explained that we're all heading to Compton to regroup and told them to call everyone to meet us there. We've got a 10-mile journey ahead, and we need to keep the Don safe.”

One of the boys exclaimed, "We're like real soldiers now, homie!" As we moved cautiously, finding hiding spots amidst the chaos. It was like a real battlefield. We even came across a squad of wounded policemen and escorted them to safety.

The boys joked, "Hey homie, this is like an action movie! Maybe someone will make a film out of this." I chimed in, "I hope they cast someone good as Damien." He playfully kicked me, and we shared a laugh in the midst of tension.

One of the De Santo gang members expressed his gratitude, "I feel safe for now, but I hope things calm down." I doubted it, knowing that once a city is in a state of emergency, there's no turning back. I hoped Soro would take down Eclipse, or all our efforts would be for nothing.

We faced intense conflicts at every turn, but managed to break through safely. Then, one of the boys received a phone call for me. It was Sierra-1, offering backup and support from the Pentagon. I briefed him on the situation, including the voice recording of Don Jurado.

He replied, "That's the gold mine. Got it. Compton, then." He explained that the attack was an act of extremism, and the news was still local, not yet spread worldwide. I was relieved, knowing my family in Sabah and Sil wouldn't hear about it yet.

With 5 miles to go, our escort mission became more intense. We were not only protecting the Don but also the people with us. I was grateful for no further encounters with the clone, thanks to Soro's efforts against Eclipse. But then, one of the boys called me, and it was someone I didn't want to talk to…Maruk

"Nephew, you've shown a natural talent for leadership. Let me offer you some advice: trust no one, not even those who seem to be on your side. I'm only keeping Soro and Maya close because you don't have anyone else to rely on.”

I asked, "Where's Soro now?”

Maruk's expression turned grave. "He's engaged in a fierce battle with an unknown

assailant after taking out Eclipse. Remember, don't trust anyone, not even the one who called you." His words hinted at Sierra-1, and I felt a surge of unease.

"Kid, you now hold the key to unraveling the entire web of corruption that could bring down the California government. Stay vigilant, as they'll stop at nothing to silence you. Make the right call, and I'll send another backup team to support Soro. Regroup at the designated location, and I'll instruct Soro and Maya to meet you there.”

My mind raced with questions, but in this treacherous spy game, caution was essential. I wondered what was happening with Soro and whether I could truly trust Sierra-1.